(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see why)
Focus Question:
Why were the Herodians and Pharisees unlikely allies?
Intro:
Why were the Herodians and Pharisees unlikely allies? That’s today’s focus question, and I’m going to just dive into that today so you’ve got some background on what we’ll hear here in a moment.
New Testament segment:
Yesterday we hear Mark get busy right away showing Jesus as an authority in contrast to other groups, even demons. And as you’ll hear today, the conflict begins to mount, which is what makes the end of today’s reading all the more intriguing.
You see, the Pharisees were strict adherents of both Mosaic and rabbinic laws like the sabbath — even to the point of ridiculousness like forbidding a woman to look in a mirror on the sabbath lest she see a gray hair, give in to her temptation to pluck it out, and thereby violate the sabbath by working on it. You’ll also remember that they’re among those who deride Jesus for eating with sinners and tax collectors.
So here come the Herodians, a group of Jews that support the reign of the Herods and, by implication, Rome — the hated tax collectors. Broadly speaking, then, you can see why they’d not be besties with the Pharisees.
Passage: Mark 2-3:6
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 34
Words: ~719
So there you go — the enemy of my enemy is my friend? The orthodox religionists and the political collaborators are now unified in rejecting Jesus’ authority and scheming against Him.
Old Testament segment:
In our OT segment yesterday we got into the last section of Ezekiel where we hear a whole lot about temple and ritual. At this point it’s been 20 or 25 years since he’s been taken into exile, and about 14 years since he got news the original temple — the splendor of Solomon 350 years earlier — was completely leveled. Now, in another vision, Ezekiel is given a vision of restored Israel. As you might guess…
Scholars differ in their interpretation of this section. Some see its language as symbolic and as being fulfilled in the New Testament church, while others interpret the prophecy as applying to a literal Israel of the future. Some understand these chapters as giving a literal description of conditions in the millennial age. Others understand the vision as an idealized, perhaps exaggerated, portrayal of God’s future restoration of His people that is filled with symbolic elements.(1)
Passage: Ezekiel 40:38-42:14
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 52
Words: ~1519
Wisdom segment:
Passage: Proverbs 10:6-8
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 3
Words: ~48
The bottom line:
The bottom line is an idea I’ve fallen in love with of late — The power of remembering what God has done, including fulfilling prophecies announced years or even centuries earlier, is that we can have confidence in what God will do. Do we know of Ezekiel’s temple vision 2600 years is fulfilled in the NT church — you and me — or will be fulfilled in some way at a time still future to us? I don’t think it makes a difference to what’s most important. Tomorrow you’ll hear that the promise is His promise is that it’s permanent. And as He often says — you will be my people, and I will be your God. And that’s some really good news.
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 446.